Uncertainty
by LetTheWookieWin
Summary: Being Champion isn't all it's cracked up to be and newly appointed Touko is finding that little fact out the hard way.  Luckily a friend visiting Undella Town may be able to offer some words of wisdom.


**In which Cynthia's awesome and mentorly, Touko's angsty and likes tea and Garchomp's name is actually Bessie. **

**AN- This is kind of different from anything I've ever written as it's very much character based. Usually I just like making cheap jokes. I think I've matured. (Then again, this is a fic about Pokemon, so maybe not.) Anyway, it doesn't really have a point and it kind of confuses me but I hope you guys enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer – Nope, although I do in fact exude awesome, I lack the Japaneseness that would suggest I own Pokemon.**

**...**

Former Sinnoh Champion Cynthia regarded the young woman in front of her carefully. Perhaps 'young woman' was a bit of a stretch. Her young visitor was still a child in many aspects, that curious age - no longer a teenager but only just balancing on the cusp of adulthood. Cynthia sighed. It seemed like so long ago that she had been the same age, facing the same inner conflict. Now, delving into her late twenties, she was compelled by an odd feeling of duty to guide the woman-child through her mental struggle.

"Touko," she began gently, "whilst your company is always welcomed, I very highly doubt that you came all the way to Undella Town just to share some tea with me."

The Nuvema Town Trainer glanced up at the tall, blonde woman and flicked a long strand of dark brown hair out of her face. She shot a tiny smile at her unlikely companion.

"Why not? I like tea."

"Really?" smirked Cynthia, "you always struck me as a coffee girl."

Touko grinned sheepishly, "I like coffee too."

The Former Champion laughed slightly before fixing the anxious girl with a serious look.

"Why are you here Touko?"

Despite all the hardships and challenges the girl had faced and overcome during her relatively short career as a Pokémon trainer, she could not help but fidget slightly under the Sinnoh native's scrutiny.

"It's, well it's...it's kind of stupid really," Touko stuttered, removing her trademark hat and wringing it in her hands.

Cynthia just raised an eyebrow and took a small sip of her tea, waiting for the inevitable explanation. She had come to understand the young trainer over the course of their frequent battles. Touko had changed very little from their first encounter. To this day, Cynthia could still not name the force that had urged her to engage the then-stranger in battle. It must have seemed a somewhat ridiculous move to the startled young girl and Cynthia herself only realised the absurdity of her actions as she was releasing her first Pokémon. It was to her great surprise, therefore, when she found herself the losing party after the long and gruelling struggle. The child, for she still was a child then, had beamed at the stunned Ex-Champion and had thanked her for the thrilling battle. She had then mumbled something about sages; although Cynthia had no idea how seasoning fit into the situation, and skipped off to the Pokémon Centre to heal her exhausted partners. Cynthia had watched her leave in astonishment; it seemed it had become somewhat of a habit of hers to lose to child trainers. Intrigued by the tiny trainer, she had invited the girl back to challenge her again during the Spring, for it was only Autumn, and to her delight Touko had accepted. Two seasons later, the girl had returned to the isolated sea-side village and Cynthia was shocked at how far she and her team had progressed. When before it had taken a monumental effort to defeat Cynthia's beloved Garchomp, fondly nicknamed Bessie, Touko's Samurott was able to bring the mighty beast down with relative ease. The Ex-Champion watched with a mixture of disappointment and something akin to motherly pride.

"When Bianca, Cheren, Touya and I first started our journeys, I think I was really the only one who had a goal in mind," mused Touko, breaking the silence that had enveloped the seaside villa, "I knew from the moment I first set eyes on those Pokéballs from the Professor that I wanted to be the best trainer in Unova."

The young brunette sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"It all seemed so simple, y'know? I mean, I had a plan. Get the badges, challenge the Elite Four, become the Champion. Easy."

Cynthia nodded slowly and set her cup on the table. "A simple yet effective plan. But life is rarely that straightforward, Touko. You of all people should know that."

"I do now," murmured Touko, dipping her head in agreement, "but at the beginning of my journey I was a sheltered, naive kid. I had no reason to believe that my plan wouldn't work."

"So what changed?"

"The metaphorical shit hit the equally metaphorical fan in the form of Team Plasma."

"Ah yes," smirked Cynthia, "I seem to remember Shauntel mentioning something about that certain group of individuals."

"They screwed up my plan," pouted Touko, the expression giving her face a childlike quality, "they dragged me into their nefarious scheme and made it my responsibility to stop them."

"No teenager wants that sort of pressure pressed upon their shoulders," commented Cynthia guiltily, trying not to think of the many occasions she had thrust similar dilemmas at Dawn.

"Exactly. And then N! Bloody N! Continually harping on about liberating Pokémon, following me around like some weird creep and actually making me FEEL something for him!"

"N?" queried Cynthia, knowing the name, if it could even be classed as a name, but not being able to put it to a face.

"Oh, my stalker."

"Of course."

"It's just so frustrating!"

"Having a stalker?"

"No," said Touko, cracking a small smile, "the fact that even my socially inept stalker has more of an idea of what he wants to do with his life than I do."

"Ah," said Cynthia, nodding knowingly, "and so we have arrived at the crux of the problem."

"Have we?"

"Yes," Cynthia paused to take a small sip of tea before placing the cup back on the table and fixing her young companion with a searching stare, "you're restless, bored even. You've gone through your whole life with a certain goal in mind and now that you've achieved it, you're left with a feeling of discontent."

"I...I, I just feel so lost," admitted the brunette, slightly unnerved at the accuracy of Cynthia's assessment, "our journeys were meant to help us decide what we wanted to do with our lives, but if anything, I'm more conflicted now than I ever was before."

She sighed, a doleful, melancholy sound that really had no business emerging from such a young, life-filled being.

"Bianca is studying to become a Pokémon Professor, Touya and his Audino start Medical School this year and Cheren has recently replaced Marshall in the Elite Four. I, on the other hand, have no idea what to do next and it's driving me insane."

"Are you not content being Champion?"

"Not really. I...I don't think I'm ready to be honest. People forget that I'm only sixteen."

Cynthia could certainly sympathise with the young girl's plight. After all, she too had been just a child when the mantle of Sinnoh Champion had fallen to her. With the esteemed title came instant fame and responsibility. It was not only recognition of skill but a vital position within society. Champions were the guardians of their regions, the brave and noble sentinels who were entrusted with the duty of protecting every living creature within their realm. Cynthia herself had slipped into the role of Champion with relative ease. Naturally, the first few months were the hardest; she had to learn that she now belonged to the public- mind, body and soul, and her private life could no longer fall into the category of 'private.' Nevertheless, it was a part in fate's drama that she was destined to play and she accepted that wholeheartedly.

Touko, on the other hand, was not Cynthia. She was a free spirit, a wanderer. Like Alder before her, she was not content to simply sit in an ivory tower and remove herself from society. The world called to Touko, beckoning her, urging her to return to its wild embrace. And a Champion could not succumb to such demands. Alder had, out of grief for his fallen partner, and his negligence had resulted in his strength failing at the moment he needed it most. But then, Cynthia mused, Touko was not Alder either. Alder had used the world to escape from his anguish. Touko was unmarred by such a loss and had not yet experienced the pain that accompanied it. And if she ever did encounter such pain, Cynthia liked to think that the girl would stand and fight rather than running off into the wilderness.

"Sixteen _is_ awfully young," agreed Cynthia, "and you have taken on a great deal of responsibility."

"I'm scared," admitted Touko in a tiny voice, an ashamed expression gracing her features, "it sounds stupid, I know."

"On the contrary," smiled the blonde woman gently, "it doesn't. But _why_ are you scared?"

"Wow, you sound like a shrink," joked the girl, cracking a small smile, "are you going to charge me for this?"

"Of course. I have to make a living, you know. There's this one trainer who keeps coming to my house, defeating me in battle and taking all my money. It's getting rather ridiculous."

"Sorry about that."

"Don't be," laughed Cynthia, "good battles are worth more money than you can imagine. But I digress. Why are you scared?"

"You were Champion for ten years, right?"

Cynthia nodded. Her young friend had clearly done some research. In a way she was pleased; it was nice to know that Touko did not just visit random strangers for tea without knowing who they were first. The girl clearly had a better sense of preservation than Cynthia had originally given her credit for.

"That's a _really_ long time. Like, almost half of your life."

"Indeed."

"What if that's my life? Ten years holed up on the top of a mountain?"

"You may not be Champion for ten years," pointed out Cynthia, "Blue, a Kanto Champion, only held the title for fifteen minutes before his rival defeated him. It all depends on the challenger."

"But it could be a long time before a really good challenger turns up, right?"

"Yes," sighed Cynthia, reluctantly, "there is that possibility."

Touko squeezed her eyes shut and leaned back in her chair.

"There's just so much of the world to see," she murmured, "and so much to do. The idea of being kept away from it for such a long time scares me_ so much._"

"You don't have to be the Champion," offered Cynthia quietly, "if you truly despise the position, you could always step down."

She understood now. Touko was not Champion material. It was odd really. The girl was brave, honest, the people _adored_ her and she certainly was the most powerful trainer Cynthia had ever faced in battle. Everything about her practically _screamed_ Champion. But she was not a Champion and Cynthia could see that. Touko was a hero. Most people could not tell the difference between the two but for the tall, blonde woman, the difference was staggering. Champion was a title, a position, the pinnacle of the Pokémon League. Hero was state of being, ingrained into every molecule of certain individuals. Individuals who would fight to the bitter end to defend what they thought was right and true and just. If a Champion was a sentinel, then a Hero was a warrior and Cynthia could think of no finer warrior to defend Unova than the young woman sitting opposite her.

Touko stared at the older woman, not with shock, but rather a curious mix of contemplation and understanding fixed firmly onto her delicate features. She smiled, nodded and pulled her hat back onto her head.

"Thank you."

During the months following Touko's visit, the Unovan people would question and wonder why their Champion had stepped down from her position, appointing Alder as her replacement. In the secluded seaside village that was Undella Town, however, one woman knew the answer: it was impossible to be both a Champion and a Hero. Many had tried and failed before Touko and many would try and fail after her. Something called to them. Perhaps it was coincidence; perhaps it was destiny, Cynthia did not know. What she did know, however, was that the world needed her heroes free, ready to tackle any misadventure she sent their way. And sometimes, the obliviously, naive fools needed a firm shove in the right direction.


End file.
